SoftBank Shares Slide as OpenAI IPO Delay Concerns Weigh on AI Investment Outlook 
The government is ‘doubling down’ on its social media ban. But bigger penalties for platforms aren’t enough 
OpenAI Proposes 5% U.S. Government Stake Amid AI Policy Talks 
Anthropic Brings Claude AI Models to Microsoft Azure Foundry With NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs 
EU Chip Industry Faces Growing Risks From China Export Controls and U.S. Technology Dependence: Report 
Apple Eyes Chinese Memory Chips as AI Shortage Pressures iPhone Supply Chain 
Kuaishou Stock Jumps as Kling AI Secures $2 Billion Funding Round 
Apple Challenges India Antitrust Probe, Says CCI Copied Rivals’ Claims in App Store Case 
Samsung to Invest $90 Billion in South Korea to Expand AI Chip, Display, and Battery Production 
Smartphones are helping filmmakers tell the stories the movie industry overlooks 
Baidu Shares Rally as Kunlunxin Eyes $50 Billion Hong Kong IPO 
Super Micro Employees Detained in Taiwan AI Server Export Investigation 
Chip Stocks Rally as Samsung and SK Hynix’s $1.3 Trillion Investment Plan Boosts AI Optimism 
Microsoft Reportedly Plans New Job Cuts Across Sales, Consulting, and Xbox 
Australia Sues Amazon Over Prime Video Ads and Subscription Terms 
ShareChat Eyes 2027 IPO After Reaching Operational Profitability, Report Says 
Apple Expands iPhone Lineup, Boosts Foldable iPhone Production Plans Through 2027 
The only hardware-related announcement Apple had at the WWDC 2020 last month was the confirmation that it is ditching Intel Core processors for its Mac computers. Now, a supposed leak claims the switch to ARM-based Apple Silicon chips would allow Apple to deliver the cheapest MacBook ever later this year.
MacBook 2020 price drastically changes with Apple Silicon chip
Thanks to the Apple Silicon announcement, the iPhone 12 is not the only exciting announcement fans are expecting from the tech giant this year. Previous reports have it that the first Mac computers powered by the Apple Silicon chips could be released before the end of the year.
When the Apple Silicon was announced, Apple did not mention anything about how it would affect the Mac pricing. Tech fans have been expecting some changes now that Apple does not have to buy processors from another company. But it was still quite a shock when Twitter leaker Komiya posted a price list suggesting that one of the first Apple Silicon MacBooks could also be the cheapest Apple laptop ever.
In their tweet, Komiya said an “ARM MacBook” will be priced around $799. Right now, Apple’s online store no longer advertises the 12-inch MacBook making the latest version of MacBook Air the cheapest Mac variant and even that costs $999 at the very least. The same source claimed a new 13-inch MacBook Pro would be priced around $1,099, which is cheaper by $200 than the current Intel Core-powered model. Meanwhile, it is unclear if the supposed $799 MacBook with Apple Silicon is a new MacBook Air or a successor of the 12-inch MacBook.
MacBook specs, release date: What to expect
What Apple announced at the latest WWDC is that Apple Silicon is their solution to deliver Mac computers that have more power but consume less power. In simpler terms, this is a promise that the future MacBook laptops should still be able to handle demanding tasks and high GPU requirements while still being a portable device.
Tech fans will have to keep imagining for now about how that will manifest in future Apple computers. On the bright side, there have been reports that the first Apple Silicon-powered MacBook laptops could be released sometime in late 2020, possibly in October.
Featured photo by ThoroughlyReviewed under Creative Commons license CC BY 2.0
